What this is for#
The CAN-SPAM Act (US, 2003) applies to every commercial email you send to a recipient in the United States — regardless of where you or your server is located. The Federal Trade Commission can fine you up to $51,744 per non-compliant message, and that ceiling is adjusted upward for inflation each January.
The good news: AcelleMail handles the technical half of compliance for you. The other half is editorial — honest subject lines, correct from-name, an accurate physical address on file. This is the buyer-side checklist.
The 7 requirements, mapped to AcelleMail#
| # |
Rule |
Who handles it |
Where in AcelleMail |
| 1 |
Don't use false or misleading header info |
You |
Lists → [list] → Edit — your From name and From email must accurately identify your business |
| 2 |
Don't use deceptive subject lines |
You |
Subject is what you type in the Campaigns wizard — never use "Re:" / "Fwd:" / fake urgency |
| 3 |
Identify the message as an advertisement |
You |
If you don't have express consent (e.g. cold outreach), say "Advertisement" in the body or footer |
| 4 |
Tell recipients where you're located |
AcelleMail (after you fill it in) |
Account → Contact — fill in Company info + Address once; AcelleMail injects it into every campaign footer |
| 5 |
Tell recipients how to opt out |
AcelleMail |
Every campaign automatically gets an unsubscribe link — you cannot turn it off |
| 6 |
Honor opt-out requests within 10 business days |
AcelleMail |
Unsubscribed subscribers are suppressed immediately — they cannot be re-imported into the same list |
| 7 |
Monitor what others do on your behalf |
You |
If you give an agency access to your AcelleMail account, you're still liable for their sends |
Where to fill in your physical address#
Go to Account → Contact. The page has two cards: Company info (legal name + display name) and Address (Address 1, Address 2, City, State, ZIP, Country). Save once — AcelleMail uses these values in the campaign footer for every list. If the address card is empty, the footer will fall back to your account email, which is not CAN-SPAM compliant.
A valid address is a street address, PO Box, or commercial mailbox registered with the USPS. A residential apartment is fine. A virtual mailbox (e.g. iPostal1, Earth Class Mail) is fine. A "we have offices in San Francisco" tagline is not — you need a specific deliverable address.
What AcelleMail enforces automatically#
- Unsubscribe link in every campaign footer. The template language
{UNSUBSCRIBE_URL} resolves to a per-subscriber one-click link.
- Suppression after unsubscribe. Once a subscriber clicks unsubscribe, they're flagged
unsubscribed on that list and excluded from all future sends. They can re-subscribe via your signup form if they choose, but you cannot re-import them.
- List unsubscribe headers (
List-Unsubscribe and List-Unsubscribe-Post). AcelleMail adds the RFC 8058 one-click headers Gmail and Yahoo now require. Most modern clients render an "Unsubscribe" button in the message header from these.
What you still need to watch#
| Issue |
Fix |
| Your From name is your CEO's first name only ("Sarah") |
Change it to a business identifier — "Sarah at Awesome Solutions". From-line must identify the sender. |
| You're sending to people who never asked — and your footer doesn't say "Advertisement" |
Add an "Advertisement" or "Promotional message" line in the footer area of your template, OR get explicit opt-in first. |
| You bought a list and want to email it |
CAN-SPAM allows it (it's "opt-out" not "opt-in"), but Gmail/Yahoo deliverability will tank. Don't. See Email List Hygiene. |
| You set up a different unsubscribe page in your template |
Don't — AcelleMail's built-in {UNSUBSCRIBE_URL} is the only one that triggers automatic suppression. |
Common issues#
| What you see |
What to do |
| Campaign footer shows your account email instead of an address |
Go to Account → Contact, fill in Address 1 / City / Country, save. The next send will use it. |
| Subscriber complains they unsubscribed but got another email |
Verify they clicked the link in the footer (not a custom "stop" link in your body). If they did, check Lists → [list] → Subscribers and confirm their status is unsubscribed. If not, contact support — auto-suppression should be instant. |
| You want to re-import someone who previously unsubscribed |
Don't. CAN-SPAM forbids it without fresh consent. Have them sign up again via your form. |
What to do after#
- Open Account → Contact and confirm both Company info and Address cards are filled in.
- Open one of your last sent campaigns and scroll to the footer — confirm the address renders, and the unsubscribe link works.
- Read Double Opt-In vs Single Opt-In — double opt-in dramatically reduces CAN-SPAM exposure even though it isn't legally required.
Related articles#
